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eRRI HaRT Man anD THe siWa taking care of business, taking care of women What are some daily uphill battles that you face in meeting SIWA objectives and man- dates? What is something that you are hop- ing will get easier with time? We still are trying to understand how the or- ganizations that we support can get assistance from the national and provincial govern- ments. Quite ofen the rules for our charities to receive government assistance are either unclear or have restrictions that make it dif- fcult for some of our charities to meet. We hope that with Korea’s increased emphasis on helping the underserved, we will fnd even better ways to support them in partnership with the federal and local governments. You recently wrapped up your annual fundraising event, the SIWA & Diplomatic Community Bazaar. Can you elaborate on the results of that? How have you noticed this event evolving year-to-year? One of the positive things in Korea is that foods that were once difcult to fnd here are now readily available. It was not that long ago that one of the only places to get imported cheese, for example, was at the bazaar. So, over the years, the focus has changed to high- lighting the cultural aspects of each country more through their handicrafs. Still, it is a great place to get items like imported choco- lates, olive oil and maple syrup. What are some of your proudest moments in 2013 with respect to the SIWA’s commu- nity outreach to Korean society? Certainly the bazaar held on November 5 was one of the highlights. Tanks to the great eforts of our diplomatic liaison, Nuchjar- ee Klongsungsorn, the wife of the Tai am- bassador, we had 50 countries participating this year. Tose who came were able to buy everything from jewelry and handicrafs to designer handbags. Our food court featured everything from pad thai to kebab to Belgian wafes. At our cofee morning in October, we had an inspiring talk from Mr. Kim Kwang-jin, one of the highest-ranking defectors from North Korea. Over 120 people came to hear his har- rowing story about life in North Korea, and what it was like for him, even in the upper echelons of Korean society. Our gala, held last April, had the Latin-in- spired theme of Friday Fiesta. We had au- thentic food and even a Mariachi band from right here in Seoul. Not only did everyone have a great time, but we were able to raise about 20 million won in support of Korean charities. SIWA is immersed in Korea and its mem- bers are actively learning more about Korean values. On the fip side, what is it that you’re seeing Korean women gaining and adopti ng from their interactions with SIWA and its members? Since our communications are in En- glish, many of our Korean members tell me that it keeps them in touch with their En- glish-speaking experiences. Some of our Ko- rean members have lived overseas for work or for school, and some have family in those countries, so SIWA becomes a way to stay connected. Was there any touching response or feed- back that you received that has made your hard work all the more worthwhile? One of the donations we made this year, in conjunction with the other internation- al women’s groups, was to a clinic run by a Belgian doctor here, Dr. Brasseur. What was especially gratifying is that Dr. Brasseur came here as a nun over 40 years ago to open this clinic and realized that she needed to go to medical school. At that time, SIWA support- ed her with a scholarship and gave her funds to start the clinic. It was so gratifying to see the great work she has done and know that we had a small part in its beginnings. Are there any other international women’s groups in other countries that you look to for inspiration and benchmarking? We are fortunate in that many of our mem- bers have lived in other countries before